Chapter 732: Germany and the United States break off diplomatic relations
"Maybe now I have to admit a fact. As for the country's position, I may be powerless to stop anything." In front of Grettisen, Sheffield wiped away his crocodile tears and spoke with a heavy voice.
"Mr. William, is there no chance to fight for everything?" Grete Tissen asked anxiously, "Excuse me, the United States should strictly maintain neutrality and avoid the harm of war. This is the best thing for your country."
"My friend, it's all about interests. Apart from me, many names you are familiar with have unclear relationships with the Allied Powers. I alone and my company cannot stop this." Sheffield sighed secretly and pointed out the purpose of changing his position now.
It's all about money. Compared with the Germans, Britain and France, as the two largest vested interests in the world, obviously have stronger economic strength, which is reflected in their repayment ability.
At the critical moment, Sheffield naturally shirked all responsibilities and told Grettissen that he would try his best to slow down the pace of sending the expeditionary force, but reminded Grettissen that all he could do was to slow down the pace. At the same time, an evidence favorable to the Allies would be announced by the federal government.
This piece of evidence is the Zimmermann Telegram incident. The Zimmermann Telegram is recognized as the single telegram that changed the course of history the most and had the greatest impact on the times. The leak of this top-secret telegram sent by the German Foreign Minister to the ambassador to Mexico during World War I, proposing an alliance with Mexico to attack the United States, led to the rapid occurrence of the situation that Germany had been trying to avoid: the neutral United States joined the enemy camp to declare war on Germany.
In fact, the Zimmermann telegram incident in this time and space came nearly half a year late. There were also some other factors that led to the late occurrence of this incident. On the one hand, Germany made a bigger bet on naval warfare than in history. There were three consecutive naval battles, and the Allied fleet in the Mediterranean direction had a slight advantage.
Unfortunately, the Allies took it back. After the battleships on the British slipway were launched one after another, the German High Seas Fleet's journey had to end. It is true that the German High Seas Fleet caused far greater casualties to Britain than in history. However, the situation of not being able to replenish its own losses did not change.
If the Austrian and Italian fleets in the Mediterranean could coordinate and rush to help, this might change the situation. But at this time, the background of old-fashioned imperialism was revealed. Britain turned the entire Mediterranean into a big bathtub by controlling the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. The Allied fleet in the Mediterranean could not provide power for the German High Seas Fleet.
Although Sheffield was committed to transporting supplies to the Allied camp through the Persian Gulf, the transportation capacity on land could not be compared with that on sea, and the losses along the way were considerable through land transportation.
It can be said that the internal exhaustion of the Central Powers only occurred half a year to a year later than in history. The Allied camp led by Britain certainly suffered more serious internal injuries, but on the whole it was still able to hold on better.
Under such circumstances, Germany naturally thought of using Mexico to attract the attention of the United States, so that this only major country outside the main belligerent countries would not join the vortex of world war.
To be fair, deep down in Germany's heart, it did not expect Mexico to really take any action to recover the lost territory from the United States. Mexico is still in civil strife, not the state when Trotsky was in exile. What it can do to the United States is very limited.
Putting himself in the Germans' shoes, Sheffield could guess that Germany was just trying to encourage Mexico verbally, and there would be no substantive steps. Considering Germany's interests, it would directly prevent the United States from joining the war, just like before, using German immigrants to express anti-war speeches and telling the United States the dangers of war.
The other side is to use Mexico to find something for the United States to do. The scenario in the Zimmermann Telegram incident is impossible to happen. From the German perspective, even if the United States knew the news, the first choice might be to invade Mexico on a large scale, rather than immediately send an expeditionary force to Europe.
By the time the American Expeditionary Force was fighting to the death in Mexico, Germany would still have a long time to deal with its opponents.
But the Germans might not have thought that the United States really just needed an excuse to join the war. Once the Zimmermann Telegram incident was exposed, the United States would not choose to invade Mexico, but would directly cause trouble for the Germans, the source of the incident.
Sheffield, a veteran German fan, an old friend of the German people and the world's richest man, fulfilled the last mission of the ace spy during the First World War. He informed Gretchen of the news that the federal government was leaning towards the Allies and asked him to inform Germany to make early preparations.
"Thank you for your help, Mr. William. I really don't want to see soldiers from our two countries fighting on the battlefield." Perhaps deceived by the slave owner's crocodile tears, Grettison's voice choked.
"I'm sorry that I failed to stop the country from entering this terrifying world war!" Sheffield also remembered his status as a senior actor and said with the same empathy.
His sincerity seemed like the German ambassador who tried his best to prevent Imperial Russia from joining the war before World War I. He was full of sadness that nothing could be done and could only express his last goodwill on this occasion.
Sheffield left with heavy steps, and when he returned to his residence, he became a completely different person. He jumped up and down in front of Louisa Morgan without any concealment. Fortunately, Anne had returned to Arlington, otherwise she would have seen the true face of her husband.
"Why did you inform the Germans in advance? I just don't understand this." After listening, Louisa Morgan asked her man suspiciously, "Do you really have a good impression of the Germans deep in your heart, but you don't dare to admit it on the surface?"
"Don't say such childish words. I'm only considering your family's loan." The slave owner denied it even though he felt guilty. He said righteously, "If you were a German and now knew that the United States was about to join the war, but would not join the war right away, what would be your reaction?"
"How should I know? I'm not German. You should ask Edith. The Rockefeller family is of German descent." Louisa Morgan said unhappily, "Anyway, it's unlikely that they can attack us directly. The British are blocking us."
"Yes, the British are blocking us!" Sheffield said with certainty, "The Germans can only do so much to us, but three years have passed and the two camps have been increasing their investment in the war. Three years later, both sides have reached a point where neither can afford to lose. At this time, they will do anything to win. Take the Zimmermann telegram this time. The British must have known about it a long time ago and used it to inform the federal government through unsuspicious means. The effect was exactly what they wanted. Aren't you companies that have been trapped by the Allies waiting for this opportunity?"
"Just get to the point." Louisa Morgan said dissatisfiedly. The fact that many bankers gave loans to the Allied Powers had been ridiculed by this man countless times, and it had become more and more frequent recently.
"When we are closer to victory, gamblers will become more crazy. If the Germans knew about this, they would become very crazy at this time when we are about to join the war but have not yet sent out the expeditionary force. You will see that the Germans will definitely organize a powerful offensive." Sheffield said in an unquestionable tone, "I am sure!"
In this world's First World War, judging from the current situation, Germany's battlefield situation alone is better than that of the First World War in the original time and space. In last year's Battle of the Somme, the British demonstrated the classic operation of being able to fight the Germans on equal terms alone, but being defeated by the Indians.
As a result of the Battle of the Somme, Germany's occupation of French territory has expanded a little, and the high-pressure situation against France continues. As for the Eastern Front, who can't see that the Russian Empire is gritting its teeth and holding on, and it may collapse completely at any time.
If news came out at this time that the United States was going to join the war, the Germans would definitely go all out and squeeze out all their potential to try to end the war before the American Expeditionary Force arrived in Europe.
This is why the slave owners first leaked the news of joining the Allied camp to the Germans before the federal government, and sold it to the Germans. Because ordinary people are still on the first level, the slave owners with real historical references are already on the fifth level.
If we were defeated despite having all the advantages, Sheffield would not dare to say anything else. But if the Führer still existed in Germany after the war, he would insist that we should have won and that it was a conspiracy to drag Germany into the vortex of defeat. The flames of revenge would continue to burn.
On August 10, 1917, the federal government of the United States officially severed diplomatic relations with the German Empire under the pretext of the Zimmermann telegram. Germany, which had been informed by the slave owners, was mentally prepared for this and only expressed regret.
Just a few days later, the unrestricted submarine warfare approved by Kaiser Wilhelm II was launched again, and German submarines began to crisscross the Atlantic. In September 1917, Germany asked Austria-Hungary and Italy to send troops to help it defend the Western Front against the British and French forces. A large number of German main forces were transferred to the Eastern Front through the country's developed railway network. Together with the Austro-Hungarian army on the Eastern Front, they started a crazy autumn and winter war. Before the American Expeditionary Force officially landed, the Germans went completely crazy.
(End of this chapter)
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